diff --git a/R/getIDVars.R b/R/getIDVars.R
index db9b287..85d8529 100644
--- a/R/getIDVars.R
+++ b/R/getIDVars.R
@@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ getIDVars <- function(schema = NULL, input = NULL){
             # need to distinguish between one and several columns
             if(dim(temp)[2] == 1){
               temp <- temp %>%
-                extract(col = 1, into = names(temp), regex = paste0("(", tempVar$split, ")"))
+                extract(col = 1, into = names(temp), regex = tempVar$split)
             } else {
               temp <- map_dfc(.x = seq_along(temp), .f = function(iy){
                 temp %>%
                   select(all_of(iy)) %>%
-                  extract(col = 1, into = names(temp)[iy], regex = paste0("(", tempVar$split, ")"))
+                  extract(col = 1, into = names(temp)[iy], regex = tempVar$split)
               })
             }
           }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-02_column_mismatch.R b/tests/testthat/test-02_column_mismatch.R
index 2dfc8dd..58129a4 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-02_column_mismatch.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-02_column_mismatch.R
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ test_that("split a column that contains several identifying variables in one col
 
   schema <-
     setIDVar(name = "territories", columns = 1) %>%
-    setIDVar(name = "year", columns = 2, split = ".+?(?=_)") %>%
-    setIDVar(name = "commodities", columns = 2, split = "(?<=\\_).*") %>%
+    setIDVar(name = "year", columns = 2, split = "(.+?(?=_))") %>%
+    setIDVar(name = "commodities", columns = 2, split = "((?<=\\_).*)") %>%
     setObsVar(name = "harvested", columns = 4) %>%
     setObsVar(name = "production", columns = 5)
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-03_wide_id.R b/tests/testthat/test-03_wide_id.R
index e1a7a88..3388e62 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-03_wide_id.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-03_wide_id.R
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ test_that("wide variable (that needs to be split) in first row of header", {
   schema <-
     setIDVar(name = "territories", columns = 1) %>%
     setIDVar(name = "year", columns = 3) %>%
-    setIDVar(name = "commodities", columns = c(4, 6), rows = 1, split = ".+?(?=_)") %>%
+    setIDVar(name = "commodities", columns = c(4, 6), rows = 1, split = "(.+?(?=_))") %>%
     setObsVar(name = "harvested", columns = c(4, 6), top = 2) %>%
     setObsVar(name = "production", columns = c(5, 7), top = 2)